Author Topic: Train Chaos  (Read 1608 times)

Train Chaos
« on: 28 July, 2018, 11:37:33 am »
Anyone else get caught up in yesterdays rail meltdown?

My journey went like this:

Arrived at Portsmouth Harbour station for the 1115 to Waterloo, many trains cancelled, my train indefinitely delayed.  All caused by a train passing too slowly over the points between Fratton and Portsmouth, losing the electric rail and becoming stuck.  After a chat with the guard I leg it to the bus station and take a 40min bus ride to Havant and so bypass the blockage.  At Havant there are still long delays but I eventually get to Waterloo for 1420.

I get to Kings Cross by Boris Bike intending to catch the 1500 to Newcastle only to find even more chaos there.  All trains North delayed or cancelled due to lightning strikes at York and Doncaster.  Staff trying to get people out of the station due to over crowding and advising that people travel tomorrow instead.

I decided that a better plan would be to walk over to Euston and head up the West Coast line to either Manchester or Carlisle at than take it from there.  That was all so far so good until I got to Manchester and found that all the trains to Newcastle were cancelled.  Eventually one did depart and I got to Newcastle by 2145, 5 hours late. 

At least I can put in for a delay repay, you can't do that after a crappy car journey.

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: Train Chaos
« Reply #1 on: 28 July, 2018, 11:43:33 am »
I think I'd be cross if I set-off for Waterloo, but ended up in Newcastle!


(Or very happy - probably depends on whether you like Geordie accents.)
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: Train Chaos
« Reply #2 on: 28 July, 2018, 11:51:02 am »
I heard on the news that Eurostar were cancelling trains due to the exceptionally hot conditions.

I'm sorry but 32 celsius in Europe isn't that exceptional. A tad warm maybe but your trains and systems should be designed to cope.
“There is no point in using the word 'impossible' to describe something that has clearly happened.”
― Douglas Adams

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Train Chaos
« Reply #3 on: 28 July, 2018, 12:34:35 pm »
I was supposed to be doing the FNRttC from York...

Quote from: Me, in The Other Place
They cancelled my perfectly good train in the time it took to ride to Mordor Central, presumably because they needed to send it back to the West Country. Their best (read: only) suggestion was the delayed 19:57 to Manchester Piccadilly. "Manchester?" says I, "doesn't that mean I'd have to go via Leeds?" "Probably." says Brummie Train Bloke, evidently ignorant of matters north of Stoke-on-Trent or south of Watford Gap "...Which is also a clusterfark?" says I, pressing the point. I received the Shrug Of Doubt and wandered off to fiddle with the interwebs in search of further enlightenment.

The interwebs suggested that I had a slim chance of a connection via the last sardine tin to Huddersfield, and an optimistic direct train from Victoria that would get me to York a few minutes late for the start, if it wasn't cancelled like all the other ones. On the basis that this was highly likely to end in either a Friday Night Ride to the Mother-In-Law's or a Friday Night Ride Up The Hill Out Of Huddersfield, I decided not to go to Manchester, as it is a silly place.

Delay repay submitted on the outward ticket.  As the return ticket was a single, they won't refund it, but I have managed to amend it to a later date at zero cost, so it isn't completely useless.

Re: Train Chaos
« Reply #4 on: 28 July, 2018, 12:59:10 pm »
I heard on the news that Eurostar were cancelling trains due to the exceptionally hot conditions.

I'm sorry but 32 celsius in Europe isn't that exceptional. A tad warm maybe but your trains and systems should be designed to cope.

They seem to be blaming the air conditioning , the failure of  which means coaches can’t be used.

Coaches out of use has been a re-occurring issue for some time on the Euro Tunnel. A rather fed up employee told me some time ago that the real issue was the reluctance of the management to invest in routine or preventative servicing. Bonuses and dividends overpassenger service. Where have we heard that before I wonder?

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Train Chaos
« Reply #5 on: 28 July, 2018, 01:22:43 pm »
What people forget about the supposed golden age of the Big Four railway companies is that they barely made a profit.  I don't think LNER ever did, and was munching through share capital all the time.  Southern did best because of commuter business and early electrification.

Railways really need to be publicly owned to cut out the middle man.  BR was doing pretty well in its last decade.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: Train Chaos
« Reply #6 on: 28 July, 2018, 01:24:21 pm »
Me. Left Cambridge at 6pm. Reached York about midnight.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

rower40

  • Not my boat. Now sold.
Re: Train Chaos
« Reply #7 on: 30 July, 2018, 03:15:51 pm »
Me. (Sort of).
Friday was first day of holiday, and we drove to Cornwall. On the way, Mrs rower40 got a message from her mother that all trains through York were up the spout. “Not my problem, I’m on holiday” quoth I.
Now that I’ve had a minute, I’ve glanced at my work emails; one was from our helpdesk; we’d had a call from the York Signalling Centre technicians requesting our help in rebooting all the computers following a lightning strike. Oops.
Be Naughty; save Santa a trip

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Train Chaos
« Reply #8 on: 30 July, 2018, 03:23:49 pm »
In other words, it's all your fault?  Not just the speed with which they were able to turn the railway off and on again, but also causing the bad weather by driving to Cornwall in the first place...   ;D

Gattopardo

  • Lord of the sith
  • Overseaing the building of the death star
Re: Train Chaos
« Reply #9 on: 30 July, 2018, 03:35:58 pm »
So, in answer to the question, what would rower do?  In this case it is not his problem as he is on holiday  ;D

Have a lovely holiday.

Beardy

  • Shedist
Re: Train Chaos
« Reply #10 on: 30 July, 2018, 06:23:02 pm »
Yep, most of the service issues we suffer across all industries and services have a common cause; lack of slack in the systems, particularly with respect to people. Slack is NOT a dirty word, it’s how you accommodate planned and unforeseen outages. Running your people at 100% utilisation might seem like success to an accountant, but it doesn’t allow for training, holidays or the increased sick leave people invariably take because of the lack of breathing space.
</rant>
For every complex problem in the world, there is a simple and easily understood solution that’s wrong.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Train Chaos
« Reply #11 on: 30 July, 2018, 06:27:16 pm »
Likewise, a hospital works most efficiently on 85% bed occupancy and the system breaks down at 95-105%...

Chris S

Re: Train Chaos
« Reply #12 on: 30 July, 2018, 06:52:54 pm »
A requirement for 100% utilisation is what happens when you put accountants in charge  ;D

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Train Chaos
« Reply #13 on: 30 July, 2018, 07:05:56 pm »
I'd love to see such folk attempt to work wearing inextensible clothing which is just the 'right' size!

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Train Chaos
« Reply #14 on: 30 July, 2018, 07:06:07 pm »
I travelled to Scotland on the sleeper last Monday night. Most of the course participants were from Scotland but in one chap's case the journey from London to Leuchars took 12 hours.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Steph

  • Fast. Fast and bulbous. But fluffy.
Re: Train Chaos
« Reply #15 on: 30 July, 2018, 09:17:20 pm »
The 'just in time' stock levels at my local supermarket generally mean gaps on the shelves.

Trains. I was working in Leeds the day of the lightning, and managed to get an earlier train than planned. Whizzed through Doncaster as the first storm passed through, saw a rainbow, and thought no more about it. I was just ahead of the chaos.
Mae angen arnaf i byw, a fe fydda'i

ian

Re: Train Chaos
« Reply #16 on: 31 July, 2018, 09:24:48 am »
'Slack' of course, is where businesses identify those precious 'efficiencies' to be saved. That way the executive management can collect their bonuses for a job well done and move on to a better job. Rinse and repeat.